


Old Habits Die Hard (So Do Careless Fools)

by ShadowsAtNight



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cute, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Juno Steel Needs a Hug, M/M, Peter Needs a Hug, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 14:44:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20490587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowsAtNight/pseuds/ShadowsAtNight
Summary: Juno 'tis but a scratch' Steel once again learns the hard way that people care. That people worry. That people hurt. And that all of those things are okay, and that they are a part of life. All it takes is an injury, an okay, and some poison.(Juno is a self sacrificing idiot, and everyone freaks out but they all still love him! :) )(NO ONE DIES :) )





	Old Habits Die Hard (So Do Careless Fools)

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: May contain course language  
WARNING: May contain triggers, check between the exclamation points for specifics
> 
> !!! TRIGGERS: Injury, talk of poor self worth, suggested past with suicide ideation, poison, poor mental health !!!
> 
> Hey guys!!!!! :) Just though I'd post this!!! Also like to say that I have not abandoned any of my works, just need to do life stuff at the moment, which sucks a lot, like a lot a lot!!! Anyway, sorry about the grammar and spelling, may be worse than normal cause I wrote this on my phone :P Hope you enjoy!!! I DO NOT OWN THE PENUMBRA PODCAST OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS!!!!! Hope you enjoy this and have a brilliant night/day!!!!!

The heist had gone wrong, very very wrong but everyone was okay. Almost everyone, Juno thought his hand applying pressure to the wound on this side. He looked around at Rita whose leg had been impaled by a stray beam when the control room had blown, and Peter who had debris smattering his back from where he’d shielded Steel from the blast.

After everything they’d still gotten the gem and freed the planet. They’d also all been patched up, cuts cleaned and bandaged, if Juno had said something there wouldn’t have been enough, besides the ship wasn’t so far away. He didn’t want to die, he wouldn’t either, but they needed the care more. He could fix himself up just fine.

This planet wasn’t like mars, for one it was blue. Where Mars had been hot and dry this planet 'SR375’ was mostly ice. It spent large amounts of time in the dark and until yesterday had been ruled over by a tyrant.

The others were walking in front of Juno, mainly because the detective had insisted as he 'wanted to make sure no one passed out and was left behind.’ Knowing Rita she’d probably guessed something else was going on. Peter and him still weren’t on the best terms.

Juno watched Nureyev stride across the ice, all hips swaying and brilliant posture. Juno remember how warm he’d felt as he’d shielded the detectives body with his own. 

Juno could now say he knew what hurt worse out of being injured or watching someone else be injured for you and it was the second opinion.

As the others walked Juno risked another look down at the steadily bleeding wound. The blood oozed out like a red river. He quickly covered it again. It wasn’t clotting. Still only half an hour left, then he could patch himself up.

No need to worry anyone else.

No need at all. 

***

Somehow he’d made it back to the ship without fainting. Somehow he made it past Vespa, Buddy, and even Jets scrutiny.

Somehow he'd made it to bed.

While the rest of the ship rested, Juno began to fix the injury in his side. Carefully he removed any remaining shrapnel from the small exploding bullet type weapon that had lodged itself in his side, thanks to the explosion, and then he put his needle work into practice.

What appeared to have happened was the object buried itself just below his ribs, which would have been fine, if that’s where the injury had ended, as it would have prevented any bleeding but then the damned thing had exploded. It wasn’t that strong of an explosion, only small, but it let the wound bleed.

Juno closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. He’d done this so many times his hands knew the movements better than his brain.

He’d done it for his brother too.

The detective laughed at that. A chuckle that turned into a cackle that turned into a sob. Oh, he’d practiced keeping his mouth shut about injuries with his brother too, so much so that both practices were now habit, and neither habit did he intend to break.

He finished the stitches and once again disinfected the wound before putting the gauze on-top.

Now there really was no reason for anyone to know.  
He was fine.

Juno went to sleep.

***

The first indication something was wrong occurred half way through the debriefing the next day. Sure he’d been feeling woozy all night and he’d looked like a zombie in the mirror, but that’s what blood loss does.

Blood loss does not, however, cause extreme stomach cramps.

The others hadn’t paid much attention to his ‘out of it’ appearance after he’d uttered that he was ‘coming down with something' they’d shoot him a concerned look every so often but that was it.

However, when he’d doubled over gasping that was a different story. Looking back up Juno caught Nureyev’s furrowed brows and tapping finger and resolved to stay quite. Peter didn’t need to think about him. Not ever.  
Giving them all a weak smile he said he’d eaten something bad.

This time no one believed him.

***

“Juno, are you alright?” Juno could feel Peters hand sitting on his shoulder like it was the only thing touching him, the pressure so light his hand might not have been there. Yet it was all he could feel.

“Yup, what are you thinking Nureyev? You think I’d lie to you? Cause I thought we’d covered this already.” Juno was burning up. 

He also was not looking at Peter, the eyes are the window to your soul and, normally, the truth.

“only when it comes to your health detective.” There was a pause before, “Juno, look at me.” Unlikely with a capital U, the detective thought beginning to move away.

Nureyev had caught him in the corridor outside the lounge area where they’d had their meeting, and apparently he wasn’t going to let Juno escape that quickly. This time the master thief moved in front of the detective.

“Oh Juno,” the thief whispered raising his hand to Junos head and gently pressing it to his cheek. 

Nureyev felt like ice, he could help but flinch back. His wound pulled, his starch cramped, Juno groaned swaying on the spot.

“ Just sick.” He got out before collapsing, Peters panicked face above him.

***

It was dark where Juno awoke. There was no beeping as might be normal in any other hospital room, just the fait glow of machines and someone’s breathing that wasn’t his own.

Jerking upright he looked for the source of the other breathing. Peter was curled up in the arm chair at the edge of the room, a blanket draped over his sleeping form.

Letting out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding he checked his wound to find it re bandaged and cleaned.

“What were you thinking?” hissed a voice to his left in the form of a grumpy Buddy.

“There wasn’t enough-“

“There was when you got back here, you idiot! Did you know you were also poisoned? Two more hours and you’d be dead.”

Juno blinked, “I didn’t want to die-”

“Could’ve fooled me.” Buddy hissed before storming out. 

Juno sighed leaning back in the bed, *-just didn’t want to worry anyone.”

“Having people worry over you isn’t a bad thing Juno, it’s human. Besides with your track record you need someone to worry over you.”

If Juno screeched and almost fell out of the bed, who had to know?

Peter surveyed the detective with calm eyes, “gave us a scare Juno, I’d rather worry about you than mourn you.”

“I just didn’t want to worry you.” Juno repeated bowing his head, “I’m not-” used to this.

He never told Rita, if she found out she found out. He never told Ben, or Mick, or Sasha. They already had too much on their plate. So did everyone on this ship. They didn’t need to hear about the thing he could fix.

... You’d be dead.

“Juno, would you want me to tell you if I were hurt?”

Without thinking he knew the answer, “of course!”

“Would you mind worrying over me?”

“No,” Juno knew where this was going.

“So why do you think I’d want any different?” 

“Because it is different. I’m Juno I can fix myself up.”

“And I can’t?”

“That’s not what I meant” the detective grumbled  
turning away.

“Juno,” the way Peter said his name sounded so tired, “if you don’t tell me when you’re hurt I won’t tell you when I’m hurt.” The detective blanched at the thought the protests on his tongue but before he could speak Peter continued, “but if you tell me when you’re hurt I will reciprocate. Simple as that.”

Both of them knew it wasn’t as simple as that but it was a starting point. Juno could still win this argument.

Peter watched his detective and knew with time Juno would be able to understand this concept as well, look at how far he’d come.

They both just watched each other before Juno huffed out 'fine'. 

And so began a new starting point for Juno Steel and Peter Nureyev.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for all your support!!!! Feel free to leave kudos and comments provided they are kind and/or constructive!!!!!! Thank you again!!!!!! Hope you have a wonderful day/night!!!!!!!


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